High-Contrast Is the Baseline. It Is Not the Goal.
I see this all the time. Designers treat high-contrast modes like the finish line. Like once the ratios pass, or they add a widget the work is done.
Let’s be clear: They aren’t. And it isn’t.
You can pass every audit and still build something that’s exhausting, confusing, or completely unusable for neurodivergent people. Passing a test might reduce harm, but it does not guarantee access.
Neuro-affirming design starts somewhere else entirely.
Checklist Accessibility Fails Neurodivergent People
Checklist accessibility assumes a perfect user. Someone who never gets distracted. Never loses their place. Never needs to step away. Never feels sensory overload.
That user doesn’t exist. At all.
As an Autistic designer with ADHD, I know how often “technically compliant” still feels like a cognitive trap. Interfaces that pass audits can still demand constant recall, emotional regulation, and uninterrupted focus.
That isn’t a personal failure. That’s a design failure. Cognitive accessibility lives in the gap between compliant and usable.
Make content usable for people with cognitive and learning disabilities
Executive Dysfunction Is Not a Personal Flaw. It’s a Design
Responsibility.
Executive dysfunction is usually framed as something users need to “work around.” I disagree.
If your interface collapses the moment someone gets distracted, the problem isn’t their brain. It’s your design.
Memory Load Is a Barrier
When users have to remember instructions or previous steps, you’re increasing cognitive load.
Recognition is easier than recall. Always.
Progress indicators and persistent context aren’t “nice to have.” They’re access.
Deep dive into recall and recognition is found at NN/g: Recognition Rather Than Recall in UX
Task Continuity Is Accessibility
Life interrupts us. Kids cry. Notifications pop up. Energy drops.
When a system erases progress or times people out, it punishes neurodivergent users for being human.
An ADHD-friendly interface lets someone pause and return without fear.
Design should forgive interruption. Not demand perfection.
Limiting interruptions is the best way to improve cognitive access for your users. The W3C WAI: Limit Interruptions (Cognitive Accessibility Pattern) explains more detailed steps on how you can make this happen.
Predictability Reduces Cognitive Cost
Every unexpected layout change forces users to relearn the interface. Consistency isn’t boring; it’s respectful.
Predictable patterns reduce anxiety and decision fatigue—especially for Autistic users.
Read more on cognitive accessibility with Leeds Autism AIM: Guide to making information accessible for neurodivergent people
Sensory-Friendly UX Is More Than a Toggle
Sensory accessibility often gets flattened into one checkbox: reduced motion. That helps. But it’s not the whole story.
Motion preferences address vestibular triggers, but they don’t address visual density or cumulative sensory fatigue.
Toggles are tools—they are not solutions.
White Space Is Cognitive Rest
White space is “leaving a good amount of space around slide elements, and using proximity to visually group elements together.”
White space or negative space isn’t a trend. For me, it’s room to breathe.
Negative space avoids dense layouts that demand constant scanning, which can be exhausting.
White space lowers cognitive effort and gives the nervous system some break.
Line length, spacing, and hierarchy decide whether text feels readable or overwhelming.
Typography shapes how information is processed and not just how it looks.
The Social Model Changes the Question Entirely
Under the Social Model of Disability, people aren’t disabled by their brains. They’re disabled by environments that refuse to adapt.
When an interface overwhelms or exhausts users, that disability is being created by design choices.
Accessibility isn’t accommodation. It is barrier removal.
Design With Us. Not For Us.
Neuro-affirming design doesn’t happen in isolation. We’re subject-matter experts.
Autistic people and ADHDers understand cognitive load because we navigate it every day.
When you design with us, you don’t just improve access—you improve the experience for everyone.
When you design, are you just checking compliance—or are
you designing with empathy?
Tas The Artist 
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